GB2184648A

GB2184648A - Decorative panels and accessories

Info

Publication number: GB2184648A
Application number: GB08608473A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ernst Linder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-08-07
Filing date: 1986-04-08
Publication date: 1987-07-01
Also published as: GB8608473D0

Abstract

Decorative panels or accessories are releasably and exchangeably attached to furniture fronts, walls or doors. The panels or accessories are covered with textile fabric 5,5a which may overlay foam material 7. Accessories include upholstery buttons 8, portrait frames, imitation flowers and toys. Attachment may be mechanical or by means of releasable tacky adhesive materials. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Exchangeable furniture-front cover system This invention relates to a system to decoratefurniture fronts, room-walls or doors with textile fabric or textile covered cushioning.

Upholstery as a permanent furniture-frontfinish is well known. However, to change it requires craftsmans' skills and with the upholstery removed it would not be a presentable finish.

According to the present invention, there is provided a comprehensive and versatile system to decorate furniture fronts, room-walls or doors with textile or textile covered cushioning in such away that the covering can be removed, changed or restyled. The system provides for: Its use on most furniture fronts commonly in use, and for designs of furniture purpose built for exchangeable coverings, and for accessories used to assemble and style exchangeable cushioning e.g. system adapted reusable upholstery button, key, clearing-plate, and portrait frame.

This system is best described in the following four parts: 1. The soft covering.

Whether used on purpose-builtfurniture or on furniturecommonlyin use oreven on doors orwalls, the parts and the construction ofthe covering remain the same in each case. It is composed of a sheet of decorative material, for example, curtain material, or material of a similar texture and complemented with a range of optional accessories e.g. a sheet of foam to create a smooth piush appearance.

This can be complemented by a specially designed upholstery-button to create the familiar upholstery look. This button can be placed anywhere or rearranged at anytime at random or it can be substituted by other decorative objects e.g. portrait frame, imitation flowerortoyetc. It can all be assembled and disembled and tailored to suit task, shape and size and all parts can individually be exchanged without speciaiisttools orskills, and all partsarere-usable.

2. The upholstery button and anchorplate.

This is basically a nut (button) and screw (anchor).

The button is profiled to removably accommodate fabric covering, or it can be used as a carrier for other decorative objects. The anchorplate is a screw with a head big enough to offer sufficient resistance against the foam backing to draw cover material and button into the backing foam to form the familiar upholstery indentation on the front side. It is also provided with spikesto pin ittothe backing foam during the assembly process. Instead of a threaded screw/nut a quickrelease method can be used e.g. press-stud or bayonett4itting.

3. Means to attach aforementioned covering to 'urniture-fronts orto door or walls which are cotrmo.1ly in use without any modification orcreating damage to the fronts. Depending on the frontto be covered either a fabric-gripping strip can be strapped on or hooked on to hold the edges ofthe cover material. Or, the covering can be mounted on a board and attached by means ofsemipermanent and adhesive e.g. "Blue Tac".

4. Purpose-bulltfurniture fronts.

The same front can beequippedforfullfront- covering and inset panel covering and still present an unspoilt decorative appearance without textile covering. Forfull-front covering either, unobtrusive fitting-points are provided for fabric gripping strip, or, the front is made detachable with fabric gripping facility on the reverse side and clearing grove forfab ric gathering in the supported frame which also accommodates fitting such as lock and hinges. For inset-panel covering the panel is made removeable (like the picture in a picture frame) and fitted with fabric gripping edge.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described byway of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows, in perspective, a furniture front 1 + 2which was designed to accommodate textile covering. i.e. detachable front board 1 with fabric gripping facility 6 plus removeable inset-panel 2 with fabric gripping edges 4. It also shows a re-usable upholstery button and anchorplate 9 set in foambacked fabric covering 5 + 5a.

Figure2 shows, in perspective, a fabric gripping strip 12 hooked 16to afurniturefront 11 with positioning pins 13 and fabric 5 during assembly stage and 'V'-shaped locking spring 14and hook-on-strap 15 pre-engaged.

Figure3shows, in profile,fabricgripping strip 12 with 'V'-shaped locking spring 14 and fabric 5 in assembled position on a furniture front 11.

Figure4shows, in perspective, board mounted covering 20 + 21 with straps 23 and semipermanent adhesive for attachment.

Figure 5shows, in section, a re-usable upholstery button 8 and anchorplate 9 and textile covering 5b in pre-assembled position.

Attaching covering to purpose b ullt furniture fronts.

Figure 1, i.e. detachable full front panel 1 is removed then the cushioning 5 + 7, with anchorplate 9 (if any) pinned into desired position, placed overthe front 1 and thefabricedges 5 secured on the gripping facility 6. The completed assembly is then placed backto its original position on frame 3.

The procedure for the inset-panel 2 is essentially the same as above.

Attaching cushioning by way of board mounting.

Figure 4. The fabric edges 5 are glued orstapled (not shown) to the reverside of a board 20 with corner cutouts 21 to clear fabric gathering. Thus assembled, the cushioning is attached to the front to be decorated with semipermanent adhesive 22 or straps 23. The aforementioned cushioning can be styled with e.g. upholstery buttons 8 or other system adapted accessories.

Attaching decorative cushioning bymeans of fabric gripping strip.

Figure 3. Thefabricgripping strip 12 is held in posi tion along the edges of the front to be decorated with hooks 16 or hook-on straps 15 or screws (not shown).

Now the backing foam 7 with anchorplates 9 (ifany) in position is placed over the front 11 and the fabric 5 stretched over it and pinned into position with positioning pin 13. Now the overlapping fabric 5 is pushed into the 'U' profile ofthe gripping strip 12 and secured against the locking rib by means of 'V'springs 14. The positioning pins 13 are now removed and each hook 16 or screw is now individually released in order to push thefabric 5 into the profile 12 where the hook 16 or screw was an obstruction. The remaining overlap ofthefabric 5 is now folded between gripping strip 12 and front 11. Now hook 16 or screw and gripping strip are rejoined.

Similar procedures are followed to use fabric grip- ping strip 12 for attaching decorative cushioning to walls.

Figure 5. The upholstery button 8 can be covered byway of placing the fabric over it and tucking the end into the groove on the reverse-side where it is held by hooks 10 or by glue. The anchorplate 9 is pinned to the backing foam 7 into which a hole has been cut (approx. the size ofthe button 8) atthedes- ired position. When the covering 5 is in final position the screw ofthe anchorplate 9 is pierced through the fabricS and the button 8 screwed on. For bigger arease.g.wallstheanchorplate9and button 8 can be mounted on a small piece offoam 7 and thatway spanning the fabric 5 between individual buttons 8 and the edges of the decorated front.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. The system providing for exchangeably decorative roomwalls and furnitu re4ronts with textilefabric; the system is comprised of: individually releasable accessories for assembly and variable styling of textile covering, - and offurniture front designs which can releasably accommodate textile covering, - and offabric gripping-strip with accessoriesfor attaching textile-covering to furniture which are commonly in useortoroomwallsor doors. 2. Furniture design as claimed in 1 with detach able full4ront-panel with fabric gripping facility on the reverse-side to releasably hold decorative front covering as claimed in 1. 3. Furniture design, as claimed in 1 ,with re- moveable in-set panel with fabric gripping edge to fit and hold decorative covering as claimed in 1. 4. Afabric gripping strip, as claimed in 1, to assemble, - hold and releasably attach decorative covering, as claimed in 1, to fu rn itu ref ronts or roomwalls or doors. 5. Anchorplate and releasable upholstery-button which can repeatedly be covered with fabricforstyl- ing exchangeable decorative front covering as claimed in 1. 6. System-adapted accessories, essentially fitted like upholstery button as claimed in 5, e.g. keyclearance plate and portraitframe for styling ex change ble decorative covering as claimed in 1. Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: (a) Claims 1-6 above have been deleted (b) New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows:- CLAIMS

1. Afurniture front which is repeatedly convertable into three basic decorative styles comprising base-mem ber with detachablefull4rontfacia-panel equipped with out of sight hooks or continuousline fabric-gripping channel and detachable and reverseable inset-panel equipped with fabric-gripping sides, facilitating optional fabric-lining in a releasable manner on fullfront panel or on insert panel respectively.

2. Afurniture-front, as claimed in Claim 1, which is repeatedly convertable into two basic decorative styles comprising basememberwith detachablefullfront-panel equipped with concealed hooks or con tinuouslinefabric-gripping chanel facilitating optional fabric-lining in a releasable manner on fullfront facia-panel.

3. Afurniture-front, as claimed in Claim 1,which is repeatedly convertable into two basic decorative styles comprising detachable and reversable insetpanel equipped with fabric-gripping sides facilitating optional decorative fabric-lining in a releasable manner on a inset-panel.

4. Acontinuouslinefabric-gripping channel, as claimed in Claim 1, which can permanently or removeably be fastened along the edges offurniturefronts orwalls to be spanned with fabric, gripping the fabric adjustably during fitting but positively, releasably and non-perforating in fitted position with 'V'-locking strip.

5. An upholstery-button assembly repeatedly us able without specialist tools or skill and selfanchoring comprising a decorative button releasably fabric lined, a fabric-locking disc and anchor-dish used in conjunction with backing foam.

6. An upholstery button assembly as claimed in Claim 5, with crater forming anchor-dish used without backing foam.

7. Aversatilesystemforoptionallyfitting decorativefabric-lining to furniture-fronts orwalls and for individually styling same fabric-lining as claimed in Figures 1 to 7.